How do you interpret dreams of fictional characters? For example, I grew up with the Harry Potter characters and they became my good friends. So how do I interpret dreams of them? They're not pure creations of my subconscious, and yet, I know they are parts of me. It's hard to separate what's JK Rowling's story of them from my story of them. I hope that makes sense.

I dont interpt dreams at all, its seem to me that we dont go to the dream world and try to sort out what happened in the waking world so why do it the other way. Its a personal view as I dont want to get stuck in a belief system or a rut of some sort. I just go there, look, learn and see what I can find to explore.

Who are you I asked, the reply "dont be silly, we are your daughers" many years before they were born

I think interpreting dreams can be valuable, to figure out what's bothering me, gain insights, etc, which is why I ask the question. It's brought me interesting feedback in the past, but so many of my dreams use these fictional characters as dream symbols, I feel like I'm being blocked from understanding them. I mean, these characters have even served as lucidity triggers when they appear differently from how I imagine them or from how they're described in the books.

In waking life, you have been exposed to the Harry Potter characters. Watching the films or reading the books fired your imagination. Moreover, at the time of exposure, you most certainly experienced feelings and emotions at the conscious and subconscious levels - not to mention the many associations that your mind concocted (many of which you wouldn't even conceive in your most alert waking state).

For instance, the Harry Potter character might have been associated with the memory of a very clever schoolmate in your childhood that you admired and possibly competed with as you secretly envied his "powers". Severus Snape could have been associated with the qualities of a teacher you might have feared when you first met but then turned out to be all right.

So, what you have been exposed to is then used to symbolically represent states of mind. The characters suddenly become your own and embody many characteristics according to thoughts you might have had, beliefs, expectations, motivations and aspects of your personality in general. These images often become representational, and, sometimes, asking them or the dream where they come from can reveal answers or get you to arrive at conclusions as to what caused them.

Perhaps think about how you felt when you had such dreams where these characters turn up. Also, observe the moods and behaviour by these characters. What do they tell you? What do they say? What are they wearing? What are they doing? What is the dream context? Alice in Wonderland might inspire you to read dreams in a certain way.

Look at Alice, so naive and shy at the beginning and she lacked control and confidence in her life. She was turning into a young woman that felt repressed and wasn't happy. Her mind was in turmoil, her inner world was at war...

Alice had a lucid dream (an unusually long one when she fell and probably bumped her head). That ugly red queen was taking over, being unreasonable, selfish and making other aspects around her having to lie about their appearance to make her feel better. Alice needed an awakening, another perspective and acceptance of a new waking reality.

She was changing and the world was changing with her. The Mad Hatter could be seen as an archetypal figure, very old and representative of the inner child, possible closer to the id and in need of organisation. Note that he spoke strange words, like a child who is playful and makes up his or her own language. The Mad Hatter character was in need of integration and not obliteration - though the latter is exactly what would happen if the red queen took over.

We all still need the child in us, we need to be playful, joyful and not take life too seriously. The mad hatter also made hats that embellished other aspects of Alice and possibly aided her self-integration. Then we have Absolem, the caterpillar, who possibly represented her higher Self, the whole, full of wisdom and regarding her (the little ego that looks at parts) as the "silly girl".

In the end, when Alice resolved her turmoil through her conscientious efforts in the dream world, Absolem turned into a butterfly and soared. As a person, Alice had become more mature, confident, spoke her mind, became free... what her inner self wanted. She found a way.

I know. It's only a fictional story. But it says a lot and this lot ain't far from the truth...

Look at your dreams and think about your life and your perspectives. Do they relate? Is a part of your psyche pushing towards your evolution? Think about it.

"Empty cognizance of one taste, suffused with knowing, is your unmistaken nature, the uncontrived original state. when not altering what is, allow it to be as it is, and the awakened state is right now spontaneously present."

yes it can also means that, either because it lingers in your memories (because you really fond of it / just watched it / etc.), or your subconscious makes an analogy there sorry if i'm missing something here